Automatic machine for making concrete blocks



M. PARKHURST AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE BLOCKS Dec. 8 1925- Filed 001'.- 24. 1924 A TTORNEYfi.

Dew, 8, 1925. 1,564,490

L. M. PARKHURST AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR MAKJNG CONCRETE. BLOCKS PATENT OF'tttIE.

LAYTON M. PARKHURS'I 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

AUTOMATIC MACHINE FOR 'MAKING CONCRETE BLOCKS.

Application filed October 24, 1924. Slerial No. 745,708.

tie it known that. l, l..\r'ro.\' M. PARK- IILERS'I. a itizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis. county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Automatic Machine for Making Concrete Blocks: and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. in which like numerals refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is the manufacture of concrete blocks and other concrete products automatically. that is. the various parts of the machine operating in the proper sequences without manipulation or interference of any person.

Machines of the kind requiring manual operation and control are not only expensive in their operation. as they require many men or helpers, but the chief dilliculty is the irregularity of the operation of the parts of the machine by the men. In order to make the best concrete block. it is important that various parts thereof should operate with uniform periodicity and uniformity in dog'rec of operation. Ordinarilyvarious parts of such machine vary somewhat. according to the material used or the particular kind of product desired to be made; but, when the machine is set for such product and in accordance with the. character of the material to he worked upon. the operation should be thereafter perfectly regulated and uniform and without any variation such as results from all human control or manipulation. I

The foregoing is true in mixing the material, both as to quality and time, in the operation of the loader, and the feed device and the tamoers and the mold box and the carrying away apparatus, as will more fully hereafter appear.

In this invention a single means controls and determinesthe sequences of operation of all parts of the machine and also the time. during which each of said parts oper ates. In the n'iachine shown in the drawings herein to explain the general nature of the invention. every part is actuated by compressed air. including even the general regulating or controlling means above referred to. It is driven by compressed air preferahly and it opens and closes air valves for controlling the air leading to each part of the machine for operating the same The full. nature of the invention will he understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of a mold and its operating mechanism in position to receive the cores. Fig. 2 is a diagram of the mold with the cores therein and of th core operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a dia-g'am of the same with the feed mechanism and means for operating. the same. ready for the first feeding'operation. Fig. at is the same with the feeding mechanism omitted and the tamper mechanism in position for the first tamping operation. Fig. 5 is the same with the tamper omitted and the feeding mechanism in position for the second feeding operation. Fig. 6 is the same. omitting the feeding mechanism and showing the tamper in the second tamping operation. Fig. 7 is a diagram of the filled mold with the finish plate closing the top of the mold and means for operating the finish plate. Fig. 8 is the same with the tamper during the third tamping operation. Fig. 9 is the same as Fig. 7 with the finish plate withdrawn. Fig. 10 is a diagram of the mold with the cores withdrawn. Fig. 11 is a view showing in side elevation parts of the mold when in delivery position and the, delivery table, and a vertical section through the conveyor mechanism to which the blocks are delivered. parts being broken away. Fig. 12 is a diagram of the valve 99 controlling means for controlling the operation of all parts of said apparatus. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the valve mechanism and means for controlling the operation thereof, parts broken away. Fig. 14 is a detail View of one of the valves. Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the means for operating the disk shown in Fig. 13, parts being broken away. Fig. 16 'is a section on the line 16-16 of Fig. 15. Fig. 17 is a. section 1 on the line 17-17 of Fig. 13. f In the drawings as shown in Fig. 13, there is a frame base 10 having a front upright bar 11 for carrying the valves, and a rear frame bar 12 with a strap eonnection 13 at, the top and between said bars 11 and 12 and in the frame there is a valve actuating and controlling disk 15 having a hub 16 mounted in said bars 11 and 12. Said disk 15 has teeth 17 on its periphery, like a large spur gear, and it is driven in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 13, by the reciprocating reduction drive means shown in Fig. 13. This drive mechanism, as shown herein, consists of a frame 18 with a pair of internal racks 1!) and 20, one above and the other below, and laterally otl'set, as shown in Fig. 16, and adapted to engage a pair of pinions 21, side by side, as seen in Fig. 16, the rack 15) engaging the top of the le.i"thand pinion and the rack 20 ei'igaging the bottom of the right-hand pinion, as there shown. Each of said pinions has internal cam-shape notches 22 for holding rollers 23, as seen" in Fig. 15, which ride on the smooth periphery of disks 24. The disks are secured on a shaft 25 which carries a gear 26 that. meshes with the large valvccontrolling disk 15, as seen in Figs. 13 and 17. The rack frame 18 has an inwardly extending rod 21' which operates in the side bar 11, which guidewav is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 13. piston rod 28 extends from the other end of said rack frame 18 into the air cylinder 2.) to a piston 30. An air pipe 131, having a valve 132 in it, leads fron'i a source of compressed air or other fluid.

The cylinder 29 is adouble acting air cylinder of familiar type and recipromites the piston 30, and by the means shown in Figs. 13 and 17, the reciprocation of the rack frame constantly rotates the valve-controlling disk 15 in one direction at a relatively slow speed.

The frame bar 11, shown in l igs. 13 and li has secured in it a number of valves Iltl with which air lines or pipes are connected. .LS shown in Figs. 13 and 17. The air line (1 leads to and operates the mold 31 which rocks on a fulcrum 32 and moves the mold in position to receive material for forming the concrete product. F or this purpose there is an air cylinder 33 having e. piston 34 pivoted to one end of the mold 31. There is also an air line a leading to the other end of said piston from the valve mechanism for returning the mold.

There is also an air pipe I) which leads to an air cylinder 35 which is connected by a piston rod 36 with a number of cores 37 having a. rear plate 38, as shown. This moves the core into the mold box after the mold box has been moved into position, as above described. I) is a pipe leading from the valve mechanism to the other end of the cylinder 35 for withdrawing the core. A. platen 1-0 is inserted in the mold box a gainstwhich the advancing end of the cores are moved.

The pipe (2 leads from the valve mechanism to one end of a cylinder 41 and drives a piston rod 42 that is connected with a sliding feed plate 43 operating under a hopper 44 which contains the concrete material 45 including the aggregate, cement and Water mixed as desired. The purpose of the feed plate 4-3 is to push the concrete material into the mold.

After a partial teed oi the concrete material to the feed box, the tempers 46 are operated, said tampers passing between the cores 3? and coming in contact with the concrete material. The tainpcrs are operated from cylinders 17 to which an air pipe (1 leads from the valve mechanism. .\n air pipe (I' leads from said cylinder 1? back to the air valve nn-ehanism for lifting the iampers.

Alter the tampcrs have been given one operation. there is a further feeding operation of the concrete material into the mold box until it is titled, it. having only been partially tilled in the first feeding movement. Then the tainpers are operated again. A fter this the. tinish plate a ism ved over the concrete in the mold by a piston 51 in the cylinder 5:3. which is actuated by an air pipe c leading from the valve meclr anism to the piston. Then the tampcrs operate upon the tinisb plate for the tinal tampiug ot' the block. alter which the finish plate is withdrawn by air through the line 1: extending from the cylinder 52 to the valve mechanism.

The next step in theoperation is to withdraw the tanipers by air coming in through the line l, heretofore (lQSCl'lbQt j The block having been finished. the mold Ill is turned over by the piston 31 and c vlinder heretot'ore described, operated by the pipe 0'. This places the block with the platen beneath the same. The platen and block thereon is then moved away from and out of the mold by endless belts 5E; actuated by a roller 51; and passing over another roller iii. The roller 5-1 is driven by a sprocket. chain 513 extending from a sprocket wheel 57 secured on the shaft 25. as seen in Fig. 16. In other words, the means that drives the disk 15 also operates the conveyor 53 continuously in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 11. The belts 5 3 on the upper side of the rollers run transversely of the mold through slots in the bottom of the mold, as shown in Fig. 11., so as to come in engagement with the platen 41) in such manner as to move it, the speeitie'details oi" the means on the belts i'or t'rictionally engaging the platen. not being here shown. By this means the platen block is delivered to the middle position shown in Fig. .11 on a table 58. The next; ope :itlon o 1' the block delivery means will push the. middle platen and block onto a shell 59 of the vertical conveyor or carrying oti nieans (30 which is vertically moved by a cylinder tilv with a piston rod 62, as shown in Fig. 11. A pipe g from the valve mechanism enters the lower end of the cylinder 61 to cause the act nating movement and said valve is operated for this purpose by a pin 11 on the disk 15. A pin 11 reverses said valve and closes it when the shell 59 has been elevated in position to receive a concrete block and it is held there until the next operation of the elevator 60 when the valve is opened again by the )in 1l=. This elevator mechanism is only iagrammatic and illustrative as it does not necessarily have to be a vertically moving elevator, although this is one form employer l.

A four-way valve controls each pair of air pipes a and a, b and b, etc., as heretofore described. ()n a valve stem Tl there are two oppositely extending arms 72 and 73, adapted to be engaged by pins extending from the disk 1:"), as seen in Fig. 17. Thus assuming the upper valve in Fig. 13 to be :in the position shown in Figs. 13 and 14., the

upper pin engages the upper arm 72 and gives the valve stem a quarter turn so as to bring the arms 72 and 73 int-o dotted line positions. This opens one air pipe, and the subsequent pinion of the disks 15, such as shown in the lower part of Fig. 1.4, afterwards engages the lower arm 73 and reverses the valve so as to open the other air line. This arrangement is made with reference to the entire valve mechanism.

The operation of the mechanism will now be explained. The air valve 32 in Fig. 1.3 is open so as to admit fluid under pressure through pipe 31 for operating the piston 30 and cylinder 29 and this continually rotates slowly the valve controlling disk 15. The speed of the machine can be predetermined and adjusted by the extent to which the valve 32 is opened.

-Assuming the mechanism tobe in operation, the pin 1 on the disk 15 will operate a corresponding valve, as indicated in Fig. 1 1, and as heretofore described, so that the air line a will be open and that will cause the mold to be returned from the position shown in Fi 11 to that shown in Fig. 1, namely, to the mold filling position. The cylinder 30 is pivotally mounted at 133.

The next pin 2* will operate the valve for opening the line b which will cause the cores to be moved into the mold box and cast the third side of the mold, leavingthe top of the mold 0 en.

Next the pin 3 will open the air line 0 to operate the feeding mechanism and partially till the mold box, as shown in Fig. 3. Then a pin 3 will operate the valve and close the line 0 and 0 en the line 0', which will return the feed p unger 43.

Thereafter a pin 4. will operate the valve to open the line (1, which will actuate the tamper 46 shown in'Fig. 4 for the first tamper operation. The pin 4 willreverse the valve that opened the line 03 and close said line and open the line cl which will lift the tamper.

Nextasecond pin 3 will cause the operation of the feeding mechanism for the complete feeding of material into the mold box, as

been talnped twice.

shown in Fig. 5, and a second pin 3" will cause a retraction of the feed plunger. Then a second pin at will cause a second operation of the tamper, as shown in Fig. (5, and a second pin 44* will reverse the valve and lift the tamper. Then the pin 7 would operate a valve for opening the line 6 or for moving the finish plate 50 in position to close the top of the mold after the n'iaterial has Then a third pin 4- will cause a third operation of the tamper acting on the finish plate 50 for tamping the top of the block flat. Then a third pin 4;" will reverse the valve and lift the tamper; after which a pin 7 will close the air line e and open. the air line a and withdraw the finish plate, as shown in Fig. 9; whereupon the pin 2' willoperate its valve to close the air line b to open the air line b for withdrawing the cores, as seen in Fig. 10.

Then the pin 1 will operate the top valve to close the air line a and open the air line a for tilting the mold box outward, as shown in Fig. 11. The means for driving the controlling disk 15 actuates the belts 53 which removes the block and delivers it to the carrying oil conveyor 60 which is moved step by step by a cylinder 61 when pin l1 opens the air line 5 The pin 11* returns the conveyor.

As stated before, the valve actuating pins on the disk 15 are so located as to bring about the desired sequences oi operation of the parts of the apparatus and in the proper limit of time. It is unnecessary here to state what that limit of time should preferably be in each instance, but it may be said that 1 the tempers in the first two operations are i usually operated three times and in the third operation on the finish plate two times. Likewise the feed plunger is operated about three times in the first operation and two in the second operation.

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for manufacturing concrete blocks and the like having a mold, means forfeeding material into the mold,-- tamper mechanism for tamping the material in the mold, a finish plate for closing the top of the mold, means actuated by fluid under pressure for independently operat ing the tamper n'ieehanism and moving said plate in and out of said position. and means for automatically operating said tamper mechanism and finish plate in the desired sequence and timing.

2. Apparatus for manufacturing concrete blocks and the like, as set forth. in claim 1, with the means for automatically operating said tamping mechanism and finish plate arranged so that the tamping mechanism will tamp the material before the finish plate is operated and also after it is moved into place on the mold.

3. Apparatus for manufacturing concrete blocks and the like having a mold, means for feeding concrete material into the mold, tamper mechanism for tamping the material in the mold, a finish plate movable into and out of position on the top of the mold by fluid under pressure for independently operating said feeding, means, tamper mechanism and finish plate, and means for automatically controlling the operation of said feed means, tamping means and finish plate in the desired sequence and timing.

Apparatus for manufacturing concrete blocks and the like having a mold, as set forth in claim 3, with the means for automatically controllingsaid actuating means arranged so that the feed mechanism and tamping, mechanism will operate alternate- 1y a plurality of times and the tamping mechanism will be operated after the finish plate is in position to close the mold.

Apparatus for manufacturing concrete blocks and the like having a mold, cores movable into and out of the mold, means for feeding material into the mold, compressed air-actuated means for operating said feeding means, tampers, a finish plate movable into and out of position on top off the mold, means actuated by fluid under pressure for independently operating said cores, feeding means, tampers and finish plate, and means for automatically controlling said actuating means tor ctt'ect ing the desired sequence and periodicity of operations of the cores, feeding means, tampers and finish plate.

(3. Apparatus for manufacturing concrete blocks and the like having a mold movable. into filling and delivery positions, cores movable into and out of said mold, means for feeding concrete material into said mold, tampers, a finish plate movable into and out of position on top of' the mold, means actuated by fluid under pressure for operating said mold, cores, feeding;- means, tampers and, finish plate, and means for automatically controlling, the operation of said actuating means so as to cause said mold, cores, feed means, tampers and finish plate to be operated in the desired sequence and timing.

7. Apparatus for manufacturing concrete blocks and the. like having a mold movable into fillin and delivery positions, cores movable into and out of said mold, means for conveying concrete material into said mold, tampers, a finish plate movable into and out of position on top of the mold, a. conveyor to receive the block i'ron'i the mold after it is finished, means actuated by fluid under pressure for operating said mold, cores, feeding means, tampers, finish plate and conveyor, and means for automatically controlling the operation of said actuating means so as to cause said parts to be operated in the desired sequence and timing.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

LAYTON M. PARKllUltS'l. 

